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Mayor's committee raising (and spending) big dollars
By Antonio D. French
Mayor Francis Slay's campaign committee raised $163,300 in the first three months of 2006. After doling out $115,000, he closed the quarter with nearly $270,000 in the bank.
As of March 31, Slay for Mayor had paid nearly $18,000 to Cardinals Ballpark LLC for season tickets, $22,000 to Richard Callow's Public Eye, Inc. for "communication advice," and nearly $24,000 to Neil Swanson, of Kansas City, for expenses related to the mayor's website.
As we reported earlier, the Mayor also made a $40,000 loan to a political action committee backing Darnetta Clinkscale and James Buford for school board.
Click here to download Slay's full report.Labels: Fundraising, Mayor
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This Week's Issue
By Antonio D. French
CLICK HERE to download the April 19 issue of PUB DEF Weekly. Check out the clickable ads.
 As always, feel free to print out as many as you like and share them with friends, neighbors and co-workers. And for all you activist types, make dozens -- or even hundreds -- of copies and drop stacks at local coffee shops, watering holes, in City Hall, or on campus (We look best on 11x17 sheets of paper, folded once).
Labels: PubDef_News
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Anti-eminent domain group opposes eminent domain "reform" bill
By Antonio D. French
A group of citizens opposed to the misuse of the government's eminent domain powers is opposing a bill recently perfected by the State House.
In a letter sent this week to members of the Missouri General Assembly, the Missouri Eminent Domain Abuse Coalition (MEDAC) said it is opposed to the passage of House Bill 1944.
"After careful review of House Bill No. 1944, we have concluded that our coalition of Missouri citizens is opposed to the passage of this bill by your assembly," MEDAC said. "It is MEDAC’s stance that passage of this bill legitimizes the current abuses perpetuated by our local municipalities, allowing them to continue 'business as usual'."
MEDAC pointed to several provisions of the bill which seem to reaffirm local municipalities' right to take private property.
One section reads: "An urban redevelopment corporation operating pursuant to a redevelopment agreement with a municipality for a particular redevelopment area, which agreement was executed prior to August 31, 2006, shall have the right to acquire by the exercise of the power of eminent domain any real property…"
"These practices are precisely the manner in which properties are obtained today and account for one of the primary abuses of the use of eminent domain," said MEDAC.
Related Videos:
VIDEO: Geisman on Eminent Domain
VIDEO: Jim Roos on Eminent Domain
VIDEO: Eminent Domain and the Airport
These videos can also be seen here. (Note: you need QuickTime installed on your computer. It's free.)Labels: Development
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Dishing Up Florida
By Antonio D. French
Steve Patterson, of Urban Review St. Louis, is reporting that the Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority (LCRA) amended the Gravois/South Grand/Meramec redevelopment area at their April 4 meeting.
 The move helps clear the way for a controversial plan supported by Ald. Jennifer Florida (D-15th Ward) to move a McDonalds drive-thru restaurant across the street from its current location on South Grand Ave.
"I spoke with Chairwoman Judith Doss," said Patterson. "I asked her if she was aware of the opposition to the McDonald's. She was not."
Patterson said Doss indicated the LCRA had a letter of support from Florida and therefore assumed there was no opposition from anyone.
"When I mentioned that none of us were aware of the April 4th meeting she said our Alderman should have told us," he said.
CLICK HERE to see an Exclusive PUB DEF Video from a recent protest of this project.
And speaking of Florida, several people have asked why PUB DEF was not at last night's school board meeting. Well, we were in Orlando. Tomorrow we'll be in Miami. We'll be back from Florida this weekend.
But don't worry, we'll be blogging like always. And we've still got eyes everywhere.Labels: Aldermen, Development
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4th District Finances [Updated x4]
By Antonio D. French
The candidates seeking to replace term-limited State Sen. Pat Dougherty are Yaphett El-Amin, Jeff Smith, Derio Gambaro, Amber Boykins, and Kenny Jones. Their campaign finance reports for this quarter were due April 15. Over the course of the day, the reports will be made available by the state Ethics Commission.
Jeff Smith, who has led the race for dollars from the start of this contest, raised another $42,000 in the last three months. His campaign now has nearly $130,000 in the bank.
UPDATE: Amber Boykins reported raising more than $21,000 in the first quarter of 2006, including: a $3,000 in-kind donation from the Missouri Democratic Party, $650 each from political action committees called Women About Reform Movement and Loft PAC, $650 from developer Mary "One" Johnson, $650 from state rep candidate Joe Palm, $300 from consultant Tim Person, $300 from 21st Ward Ald. Bennice Jones King, $100 from Board Pres. Jim Shrewsbury, and $100 from a company called "Brown Ass."
After spending $6,763.78, Boykins' campaign had almost $59,000 in the bank as of March 31.
UPDATE 2: Looks like "Brown Ass" is short for a firm called Brown and Associates. The company's office is located in the Chase Park Plaza. The Boykins campaign has amended its report.
UPDATE 3: Yaphett El-Amin now has more than $84,500 in the bank after raising $50,000 since January.
UPDATE 4: Derio Gambaro raised more than $32,500 last quarter (including $3,100 in in-kind donations). After spending more than $37,000, his campaign had $32,243 in the bank on March 31.
Kenny Jones formed his campaign committee after the reporting period for the April 15th reports and therefore will not be filing a report for the period.
 So the ranking of the candidates' war chests shapes up like this:
1. Jeff Smith ($130,000)
2. Yaphett El-Amin* ($84,500)
3. Amber Boykins ($59,000)
4. Derio Gambaro ($32,000)
5. Kenny Jones (N/A)
*State Rep. Yaphett El-Amin had the best fundraising quarter of the five candidates, raising over $50,000 since January.
Labels: Fundraising, State_Senate
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Talent outraises McCaskill
By Antonio D. French
Senator Jim Talent increased his fundraising lead over State Auditor Claire McCaskill last quarter. The Kansas City Star is reporting that Talent raised $270,000 more than his expected Democratic challenger.
Talent, the incumbent and former congressman, reported nearly $5.7 million in the bank at quarter’s end to McCaskill’s just more than $2 million.
"We’re never going to be able to raise as much as Jim Talent," McCaskill spokeswoman Adrianne Marsh conceded.
One of the most closely watched races in the country, the Missouri showdown should also be one of the costliest, with some projecting total spending could again approach – or top – $20 million. In 2002, Talent won the seat despite being outspent by Democratic Sen. Jean Carnahan. Talent spent $8 million to Carnahan’s $12.3 million.Labels: U.S._Senate_Race
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White House spokesman resigns
By Antonio D. French
Franken to broadcast from Wash U
By Antonio D. French
 Comedian and radio talk-show host Al Franken will be doing a live broadcast of his Air America radio show from the campus of Washington University next week.
Franken, an outspoken liberal and a favorite target of conservative pundits, will be broadcasting from Graham Chapel (just north of the Mallinckrodt Student Center, 6445 Forsyth Blvd) on Tuesday, April 25, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.Labels: Events, Humor
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School Board meeting tonight
By Antonio D. French
The first regular meeting of the St. Louis City Board of Education since the election of parents Peter Downs and Donna Jones will be tonight in the auditorium of Carr Lane Middle School, 1004 N. Jefferson Ave.
 During their campaigns, Downs and Jones promised to bring transparency and meaningful public input to board meeting. According to the latest email update from Downs' St. Louis School Watch newsletter, that will be the case tonight.
Downs said he sent Superintendent Creg Williams a list of questions on 31 of the 48 items on the superintendent's consent agenda. He said that Williams offered to meet with him in private to discuss the consent agenda, but Downs said the answers are not for him alone.
"I'm not asking questions for my own personal edification," he said, "I'm asking questions that I think the public wants answered. I know from experience sitting in the audience at school board meetings that whatever questions I think of, other people think of, too, and they have a right to know the answers. It seems to me that the most efficient way to answer people's questions is to do so in public at the regular school board meeting."
The meeting starts at 7:00 p.m.Labels: Events, Schools
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57th District Finances [Updated]
By Antonio D. French
The candidates seeking to replace State Rep. Yaphett El-Amin, who is running for state senate, are Joe Palm, Karla May and Talibdin El-Amin (husband). Their campaign finance reports for this quarter were due April 15. Over the course of the day, the reports will be made available by the state Ethics Commission.
Joe Palm loaned his campaign $5,000. He raised just $750 over the last three months (including $325 from a committee formed by State Rep. Rachel Storch when she was mulling a run for state senate). At the end of March, Palm's committee had $3,400 in the bank.
UPDATE: Talibdin El-Amin has $8500 in the bank after raising $10,625 since January. Contributors included State Rep. Rodney Hubbard's campaign committee, AT&T's political action committee, and Ald. Jeffrey Boyd.
Labels: Fundraising, State_House
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Mike McMillan: Cash Collector
By Antonio D. French
 Ald. Mike McMillan raised $176,710 over the last three months, according to campaign finance reports filed yesterday. Add another $13,000 in in-kind donations and the total amount raised climbs to over $190,000.
After spending $56,000, McMillan had $236,106.14 cash on hand in his campaign to become License Collector.
McMillan's Democratic opponent in the August primary election is Ken Griffey. The winner of that match-up will face Republican Pat Herod in November. Neither Griffey or Herod have yet filed campaign reports.Labels: Aldermen, Fundraising
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72nd District Finances
By Antonio D. French
State Rep. Maria Chappelle Nadal raised $1,475 during the first quarter of 2006. After spending over $1,800, her campaign had nearly $4,800 in the bank.
University City Councilwoman Sandi Colquitt, who is challenging Nadal after losing to her by less than 200 votes in 2004, has not yet filed her campaign report.Labels: Fundraising, State_House
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McCaskill to address Wash U Dems
By Antonio D. French
State Auditor and candidate for U.S. Senate Claire McCaskill will be speaking to the Washington University Young Democrats this evening at Friedman Lounge on Wash U's campus. The event is open to the public and starts at 8:00 p.m.Labels: Democrats, U.S._Senate_Race
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Red Latina publisher deported
By Antonio D. French
Cecilia Velazquez, the publisher of Red Latina, a local Spanish-language newspaper, has been deported.
The AP is reporting that after a five-year legal battle over her immigration status, Velazquez was escorted into Mexico on Friday and will be barred from re-entering the United States for 10 years.
Velazquez said by cell phone Saturday from Mexico City that Red Latina will carry on and she will continue as publisher, possibly from Cancun.
"We are the voice of my population. They need to know what's going on," she told The Associated Press. "I know we can do it. I have the Internet and my cell phone. I can make all the meetings. We need to tell the people 'Don't be afraid. Don't be scared. I'll be back.'"
She lost a series of appeals but had hoped letters of support written by politicians including U.S. Sen. Jim Talent and U.S. Reps. William Lacy Clay Jr. and Russ Carnahan would stave off her deportation.Labels: Media_Watch
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Feds investigating State Gov't
By Antonio D. French
The Kansas City Star is reporting that federal authorities are investigating Missouri’s network of license fee offices and how they were awarded to political supporters of Gov. Matt Blunt.
One Republican appointment that attracted attention last year was a busy south St. Louis office going to Garrett Lott, who had been fined two years earlier for violating campaign finance laws.
According to the Star, FBI agents also have begun interviews involving lobbying practices in the state Capitol.
Labels: Appointments, Governor
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Picketing on Easter Sunday
By Antonio D. French
It was a busy weekend for citizen activists. Central West End residents gathered to voice their concerns and learn more information about a new high-rise development. Southside residents protested a plan to move a McDonalds across the street from its present location. And this morning, Maxine Johnson, a homeowner in the 3rd Ward, picketed in front of Bethlehem Lutheran Church to call attention to a plan by Better Living Communities (which was founded by the church) and Ald. Freeman Bosley, Sr. to use eminent domain as part of a planned redevelopment.
Click here to see more photos from Johnson's protest.Labels: Development
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